Bin or keep? The wellbeing trends of 2016 rated

Abi Jackson gives her verdict on all the wellbeing trends of 2016.

Watermelon

It quenched our thirst and then some this year, topping up our vitamin and potassium levels and aiding in muscle recovery (thanks to its L-citrulline contents) in the process.

Verdict: Keep. It’s tasty, simple and a refreshing (no pun intended) addition to the arguably over-saturated ‘healthy drinks’ market.

Hygge

OK, the fact snuggling up somewhere cosy and candlelit, with a soothing hot chocolate or glass of red, makes us feel good is hardly groundbreaking. But it was only this year we officially found a name for the cosy good life’s happiness-inducing magic: Hygge. It’s always been a way of life for the Danes, and this autumn saw it snuggle into our everyday vocabulary too.

Verdict: Simple, feel-good and basically achievable every day. What’s not to love?

Seaweed

First came ‘courgetti’, and then 2016 saw an incoming tide of seaweed ‘pasta’. There’s a lot going for it: it’s sustainable, easy to farm, highly nutritious, gluten-free and low-cal, if a tad salty.

Verdict: Keep — But it’s currently too expensive to make it onto our regular shopping lists (expect to pay almost €5 for a 100g bag, while you can easily get a 500g bag of real pasta for €1.50).

Flavoured nut butter

The nut butter aisles got a lot more interesting this year, with palm oil-free brands like Pip & Nut bringing us delights such as Honey Cinnamon Cashew Butter and Coconut Almond Butter. Omega-3 and protein-packed goodness and added flavour.

Verdict: Keep! And Pip & Nut have just announced they’re launching 1kg tubs... Happy New Year!

Clean Eating

Nobody’s really sure what it means... Is it just healthy, proper food all made from scratch, no additives etc?! But, haven’t people been doing that for, um, ever? And does it only count as ‘clean eating’ if you post it on social media? Maybe we’re missing something but, either way, it’s smug, and ain’t nothing wrong with a good ’ol burger every once in a while.

Verdict: Bin. #PleaseStop

Waist training

The Kardashians could post selfies of themselves drenched in cow dung and somebody would give it a go, so of course when they start posting snaps of themselves sporting waist trainers — basically super-tight corsets — and even working out with them on, cue a flurry of copycat attempts to get ‘waisted’.

Verdict: Bin. Sticking the word ‘trainer’ in the title doesn’t change what it is. A corset doesn’t promote fat loss or muscle tone. It just squashes you.

Sauna suits

Always thought the priority with fitness attire was to keep you cool and comfortable during those sweaty workouts? Khloe Kardashian took the opposite approach this summer, however, when she shared snaps of herself working out in a ‘sauna suit’. The clue’s in the name: these ‘sweat suits’, as they’re also known, are designed to make you heat up and perspire more.

Verdict: Bin. Anything that perpetuates the idea it’s OK to do daft things in a bid to lose weight fast is just not good. Plus, apparently, it’s just promoting water loss, which isn’t the same as fat loss.